Sheikh Shack sarap!

“Sheikh Shack sarap!”

Sun.Star Davao, Dec. 6, 2014

Succulent beef brisket slowly braised in its secret house stock, meticulously diced into cubes and pan seared to perfection. Then, the heavenly beef is generously wrapped in tortilla bread with fresh and crisp vegetables and drizzled with a specially-concocted garlic sauce. Put them all together and what do you have? Sheikh Shack sarap!

The delicious idea of Sheikh Shack was born in early July this year. One of the partners, Engr. Jerome Go, broached the idea of opening a shawarma stall to his group of friends. So, they enlisted the help of Chef Caitlin Yao to make the menu.

Chef Caitlin has worked for Café Firenzo and Dimsum Diner prior to opening the Shack. She also runs her own small food business, Not an Ordinary Meal (NOM).

When the partners were throwing names around, partner Eng. Paeng Rodriguez suggested the name Sheikh Shack. The play on words was inspired partly by the popular burger franchise Shake Shack and the word sheikh, an Arabic honorific used for royalty.

A month later, Sheikh Shack successfully debuted at the DAVCON Kadayawan Bazaar where they were sold out every single night. Seeing the potential the Shack had to offer, these friends, 12 guys and a girl, decided to open its first branch.

“We can best describe the food at the Shack as an elevated food stall. We were inspired by the concept of food trucks and awesome quality of food for affordable prices”, shares Chef Caitlin.

“Our bestseller is our beef shawarma wrap and rice. Our one-of-a-kind garlic sauce is what we believe to be our specialty. We can’t tell you what’s in it, but we can promise you that once you try it you’ll never be satisfied with any other garlic sauce out there”, the young chef guarantees.

Sheikh Shack is a favorite hang-out of a lot of families and kids who come in after school for snacks. “They usually order the beef shawarma rice with egg”, says Chef Caitlin.

“We think that the Shack offers something familiar but better. It is comfort food that we’ve managed to do really well and we at the Shack feel that our products won’t be a fad but rather a staple. It’s something that you look for when you’re on the go or in the mood to give yourself a treat”, enthuses Chef Caitlin.

Sheikh Shack’s first branch just celebrated its one-month anniversary recently. And, when asked what is the experience like doing business with friends, Earl Ang and Chef Caitlin Yao who are both managing partners and cousins, have this to say, “Running a business with friends is not easy but it is most definitely fun. The multitude of ideas and personalities are what make Sheikh Shack. The most important thing is that we all respect each other’s ideas and decisions. This common feeling of respect makes the Shack run smoothly”.

For budding young entrepreneurs, Earl and Chef Caitlin have this sound advice, “Go out there and take the risk, it’s scary and tiring at first but nothing beats the feeling of owning something that’s your own.”

Sheikh Shack is located at Corner Palma Gil St., Bo. Obrero, Davao City (along Starr, Bricklane Compound and the Brewery). They are open from 10am to 10pm, Mondays through Saturdays. Call telephone number 3004692 for pick-up orders. Sheikh Shack’s second branch will be opening soon at the basement of Gaisano Mall of Davao (near Handyman), from 10am-9pm Mondays through Sundays.

Follow them on Facebook via Sheikh Shack Shawarma and at Instagram@SheikhShackShawarma.

E-mail the author at mom.about.town.dvo@gmail.com. Visit www.momabouttowndavao.blogspot.com.